A new laser-microprobe technique will be investigated that is designed to increase sensitivity for simultaneous analyses of groups of elements in the same microscopic sample by approximately two orders of magnitude for analysis of single cells. The new design will use a second focused laser beam to increase spectral emission from the atoms in the vaporized sample to a greater degree than that obtained by other means, such as electric spark excitation. The increased sensitivity should permit relative quantitative analyses of elements in single cells directly on slides in smears, tissue imprints, or tissue sections, and thus open the way to biomedical applications in forensic medicine, toxicology, public health studies, possible objective pathological diagnosis based on unique element profiles in diseased cells compared to the normal, and to fundamental biomedical research on the role of specific elements in particular cells. The analytical system is amenable to automation for rapid screening of multiple samples.